Dragon, Phoenix, Wolf and Blossom
by supergerbilbaby
Summary: The Tsubasa story retold. Adding more KuroFai and character developement. Will cross with xxxHolic. see inside for full summary
1. Chapter 1

A/N.

The point of this fic is to fill in some of the gaps in the Tsubasa storyline (mostly characters thoughts and behind the scenes stuff), and to also add some more Kuro/Fai moments (including smut). It will cross over with a lot of Clamp's other manga, especially xxxHolic. In fact, there could be a few chapters that only deal with xxxHolic.

I've read/watched the following Clamp manga/anime so far: Card Captor Sakura, Angelic Layer, Chobits, X, Tokyo Babylon, Legal Drug, Wish, Miyuki-chan in Wonderland, and obviously Tsubasa and XXX Holic. Expect crossovers from any of these series.

It is mostly going to be focusing on Kurogane and Fai's relationship and I might slip in some Doumeki and Watanuki smut as well. They are the only ones whose sex-lives that I'll be visiting in detail, but there will be mild, cute, Syaoran/Sakura moments as well as many other pairs (some canon and some not) from Clamp's other works. Such as, Seishiro/Subaru, Sorata/Arashi, Kazahaya/Rikuo, Tomoyo/Souma, Touya/Yukito and a few others.

There isn't going to be anything hardcore in this chapter, but I promise that it won't be long in coming.

I have read the Tsubasa manga and watched the anime; this fic will be following the plot of the manga rather than the anime, so if you've only seen the anime you won't be entirely lost but I would recommend picking up the manga.

I will be adding a few extra worlds in, just for the laugh, and there are a few worlds that appear only in the anime that don't directly conflict with the plot of the manga, so a few of them might slip in.

I have watched the xxxHolic anime but it deviates too much from the original storyline for my tastes. Therefore, any and all references to xxxHolic will be only relevant to the manga.

I'll probably be mostly writing from Kurogane's point of view, and sometimes Syaoran and Sakura's as well. I'm not sure if I can do much from Fai's point of view without spoiling later chapters of the manga and I'm just not touching Mokona's POV!

Of course if it's an xxxHolic chapter it will be done from the POV of one of the holic characters but we'll deal with that when we come to it, ne?

Expect spoilers I read Tsubasa and xxxHolic chapter by chapter as they come out in Japan, and right now I'm reading Volume 23 of TRC and Volume 13 of xxxHolic. Each chapter I release will have a spoiler warning at the start of it.

For example: This chapter has spoilers for any world before and including Outo. This includes any of the protagonists home worlds, Hanshin (the kudan place), Koryo (ChunHyang's world), Lake country (the place with the city under the lake), Jade Country (the one with princess Emeraude), and of course Outo (Land of the Oni/Kiji).

**Chapter 1. Outo Country.**

Kurogane had decided that he didn't like the country of Outo.

He didn't like how complacent the residents were; like livestock waiting dumbly for the slaughter. He didn't like the fact that the mage had turned their temporary home into a café that sold the most sickeningly sweet food possible and he didn't like that the magician had been forcing them to eat that ridiculously sweet crap for breakfast lunch and dinner. He didn't like his new "Big Doggie" name or the string of new, canine orientated, nicknames that had been derived from it.

The only saving grace had been his job as a kiji-hunter and even that had been tainted by the fact that he had to babysit the kid because he was blind in one eye. Even the magician, who could usually be counted on to hold his own in a fight had nearly gotten himself killed earlier tonight; getting blasted by a kiji and severely injuring his leg. Not to mention that seeing the other man's slight form crumpled against the wall had evoked an emotion in him that he _really_ didn't want to think about.

No, Kurogane didn't like Outo at all.

And now, to add insult to injury, he was sitting in a bar with the idiotic mage and listening to some woman singing what could only be described as self-indulgent drivel.

"…_take me someplace far away, to a true elsewhere…_" her voice floated across the relative silence of the bar, permeating the ninja's thoughts and making him frown in disgust.

"If she wants to go somewhere, then she should just go. There's no need to ask someone else." The ninja grunted at the mage beside him. The wizard's smile changed imperceptibly and Kurogane knew from experience that he was about to be given a rare glimpse under that damn smiling mask.

"Not everyone can do that, Kuro-chan…" he paused, his blue eyes becoming distant. "How should I put it? I've been waiting too. For someone to stay by my side, someone to take me away…"

The smile brightened again, concealing all and any real emotion that may have been on the magician's face. "Ah! I said things that you don't like again didn't I?"

Kurogane was about to respond when he noticed (gladly) that the song had finally finished. The singer approached them, pulling up a stool beside them. He left her to the mage, knowing that people were, for some reason, more likely to give the blonde man information willingly than to him.

Instead he occupied himself perusing the liquor behind the bar and choosing several nice bottles of sake for when they got home. By the time he had finished bartering with the bartender the wizard was already done questioning the woman.

Kurogane watched her walk into the crowd before turning to the mage "Let's go."

"Okay, Kuro-chi. I would have preferred to stay a little longer…" the blonde started but broke off in a sudden hiss of pain as he unwittingly put weight on his injured leg. The ninja sighed and shoved the bag of liquor into the other man's hand before hoisting the magician over his shoulder.

"Wai! Kuro-sama is so strong!" the blonde cried as he wriggled into a more comfortable position on the ninja's shoulder.

Kurogane just grunted in response as he headed out the door, ignoring the strange looks they received from the remaining patrons in the bar.

-oOo-

The journey home was surprisingly uneventful, they didn't run into anymore kiji and the wizard over his shoulder was only mildly annoying. Kurogane approached the gate of the café in high spirits, looking forward to a peaceful night and a warm glass of sake. As he walked into the yard he only dimly registered the kid's greeting and the magician's explanation of why they were late, he was too distracted by the fact that there had obviously been a battle, that the kid was in bad shape and that there were several extra people here in addition to the kids.

It was when he noticed the woman with the dark skin, raven hair and a face that he knew just as well as his own, that he froze and his hands went slack at his sides. He barely noticed the dull thud when the mage fell from his shoulder to the ground as he rushed toward the woman.

"Souma?" he blurted out hopefully, not noticing the utter confusion on the woman's face. "What are you doing here? Is Princess Tomoyo with you?!"

The woman with Souma's face blinked up at him for a moment before clearing her throat. "My name _is_ indeed Souma. But I believe that this is the first time that we've met, and I know no 'Princess Tomoyo'…"

Kurogane could swear that he could feel the cogs turning in his head as realisation dawned upon him. He felt his cheeks burn when he realised that he had made this particular mistake again. Ignoring the confused audience and the giggling mage he stormed into the café.

It wasn't long until the kids came back into the café, the injured wizard propped up between them. Kurogane watched out of the corner of his eye as the princess set about making tea, the kid rooted out some bandages for the magician's leg and the Manjuu bounced around uselessly.

He looked up as the princess approached him, tea in hand. "Does Souma-san really look just like the Souma from Kurogane-san's country?" she asked with a smile.

He was just about to answer when the Manjuu-bun cried out "Kurogane was so surprised that he dropped Fai!"

"SHUT UP, YOU!" the ninja shouted, the fact that the mage was laughing his ass off did not go unnoticed and Kurogane was about to express his displeasure at this when the magician's expression turned serious.

"People that we meet in different worlds might look the same, but they really are different… just like the Witch of Dimensions said. Maybe we'll meet more people like that in the future…" he trailed off then, and Kurogane wondered if he was the only one who knew why the magician was so worried about meeting different versions of people from their native worlds.

"That should do" the kid said softly, dispelling the tension in the air, as he tied the bandage off.

Kurogane watched with trepidation as the magician poured alcohol for everyone, including the Manjuu. He didn't think that it really seemed like a good idea for them to all be getting drunk…

He didn't have to wait long to be proven right. He retreated to the step on the back porch, enjoying the night air and trying to block out the sound of the idiot, the manjuu and the princess pretending to be cats.

There was a particularly loud crash from inside the house, followed by the wizard's tinkling laughter. Kurogane winced internally, staring up at the stars and wondering if the man had been specifically designed by the gods to torture him.

The magician frustrated Kurogane in every imaginable way possible, with that stupid fake smile and even more fake cheerful demeanour. The singing, the teasing, the fake whistling, the way he wouldn't sit still when Kurogane was trying his hardest to slice the bastard in two, the way he would gang up against him with the white-manjuu… and the nicknames, gods the nicknames! That twisted mage had found hundreds of ways to butcher his title; he couldn't remember a single time when the man had actually called him Kurogane.

Then there was the flirting… which had recently reached the top of his list of annoyances. The magician seemed to flirt with anything with a heartbeat, including himself, for no discernable reason other than the bastard's own perverse amusement. Kurogane did _not_ like to be played with, and that was all the damned mage seemed to do!

He knew why it was irritating him so much more than all of the other crap…

He would be lying to himself if he said that he didn't wish that there was some kind of truth behind the winks and suggestive looks he received from the blonde occasionally… there was no denying that he thought that the mage was attractive and he was sure that the little bastard knew it.

The ninja's train of thought was interrupted by the kid's sudden appearance, sitting down beside Kurogane with a drink in his hand and a grim look on his face.

"Are you drunk too?" he asked the kid suspiciously.

"Kurogane-san…" the boy began. His serious tone reassuring Kurogane that the kid wouldn't start barking or meowing anytime soon.

"What is it?"

"There are Kiji that can't be defeated without a weapon… Can you teach me how to use a sword?"

The request took the ninja by surprise and he wondered why he hadn't thought of it before. This could be the perfect solution to the problem with the kid's eye. He just had to be sure of something first… "Are you doing this so that you can stay alive?"

"It's so I can keep my promise"

"You want to be strong to get to the next world more quickly, to help the princess…" he paused, deciding that protecting the princess was a noble enough cause. "I don't have much to teach, but I do know a thing or two."

Even the ninja had to admit that he joy on the kid's face was heart-warming. The boy reminded him a lot of himself when he was younger… when he had been happy.

He was jerked from his reverie when the boy stood up and saying 'Thank you' and bowing reverently… to the white Manjuu…

"What the…?" Kurogane stared in confusion for a second before he realised what was going on. "You're drunk too!"

"And you!" he cried, whirling on the magician and princess, who were still meowing away, "No more alcohol for you!"

He was about to reach for one of them, intent on getting them upstairs, into their beds and out of trouble when he caught some movement from the corner of his eye. He turned just in time to see the boy brandishing a ladle as if it was a sword.

"What the hell?!" Kurogane yelled, surveying the scene with annoyance. The kid was slashing at imaginary enemies with his ladle and the magician seemed to have magicked up some cardboard cat ears for himself and the princess and now they were practically yowling…

"GO TO BED NOW! ALL OF YOU!"

-oOo-

It had taken Kurogane almost an hour to herd the children upstairs and get them into their respective beds. The kid had been especially difficult, swinging his ladle/sword around wildly and nearly falling down the stairs. The princess had been a hell of a lot easier, falling asleep almost immediately when her head hit the pillow. One last meow escaping her lips before her eyes slipped shut.

He closed the door to the princess's room, leaning back against it and sighing wearily. Getting the kids upstairs and tucked in had been hard enough, but the ninja knew that a far greater challenge was waiting for him downstairs.

As he descended down the stairway he couldn't help but notice how eerily silent the house had become. Earlier, when he had started up the stairs with the kids, the mage had still been rolling around on the floor mewing ridiculously. He looked around the room suspiciously, wondering where exactly the other man could be hiding. He searched the entire room but to no avail, there was no magician behind the couch, under the café tables, in the broom cupboard or behind the counter.

The quiet was overbearing and almost ominous as he padded carefully into the kitchen, he found himself actually feeling a little nervous and he wondered absently if he should have brought his sword. He shook his head and scowled, he was a ninja of Shirasagi castle, he had fought demons, monsters and much worse in his time, he was _not_ afraid of some lanky lunatic. He gave the room a quick scan and reached to check behind the door, his hand froze in mid air when he heard a faint scuffling sound from under the table.

A victorious grin spread across his face as he turned toward the kitchen table, walking forward casually before bending down and yanking up the tablecloth. It took Kurogane a few seconds to comprehend that he was not looking at a thin blonde hiding under the table but a much smaller, rounder, _whiter_ form. The damn Manjuu-bun smiled up at him, opening its mouth and meowing once.

By the time he had realised his mistake it was too late.

The door behind him creaked, _so the bastard had been behind there after all,_ and something landed on his back; purring into his ear. The sudden weight threw him off balance and he teetered forward dangerously for a few seconds, seemingly frozen in time, before they both crashed to the ground. Face down on the floor he felt the other man wiggle into a more comfortable position on top of him, warm breath tickling his ear.

"Meow! Kuro-puppy fell down!"

The ninja was back on his feet in seconds, the magician yelping and trying to hang on before falling to the floor with a thud.

Kurogane glared down at the other man. "What do you think you're doing?! Jumping on people like that!" The mage didn't respond, he just pouted up at Kurogane and rubbed his bruised tailbone with one hand and his injured leg with the other. The ninja winced internally, he had forgotten all about the wound the blonde had obtained while fighting the kiji earlier.

The Manjuu was bouncing around him, squealing "Kuro-puppy is mean! Kuro-puppy is mean!"

The ninja exhaled deeply, resisting the urge to grab the white meat bun and throttle it. He tried to calm himself; this would go more smoothly if he didn't give the Manjuu or the mage the pleasure of getting a rise out of him, and he really didn't want to wake either of the children considering how long it had taken him to get them to bed in the first place.

"You're drunk." He started, leaning down a little so he could check the bandages on the blonde's leg. "and it's late, you should go to bed."

The magician's pout became more exaggerated, "I don't _want_ to go to bed, I want to stay up and play with you, Kuro-wan wan." He whined, peering at Kurogane from under his lashes, obviously trying to seem as cute as possible.

The ninja, however, was not one to be swayed by such tactics. He scooped the blonde up unceremoniously, throwing him over his shoulder and headed for the stairs. The mage wriggled in protest for a few seconds before slumping against his back, _probably trying to formulate an escape plan_ the ninja thought to himself with a frown.

But the magician didn't make even a peep while Kurogane carried him upstairs to his room, nor when the ninja deposited him onto his bed (gently so as not to hurt his leg). He realised then why the mage had been so quiet, he was out cold. The ninja sighed and lifted the man up again so he could get him under the blankets, not bothering to put him face down in the weirdo's usual sleeping position.

He took one last look at the magician's (unusually untroubled) sleeping face before leaving for his own room. Once inside, he glared at the bed, _give me a futon any day_ he thought glumly before he untied his hakama, slipping out of it and crawling into bed.

He relished the feeling of the sheets against his skin, he was usually forced to share a room with the blonde maniac and therefore usually stayed in his clothes while sleeping. Knowing that in the next world they would probably all have to sleep together again he was taking advantage of his solitude.

He lay back, hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. Sure that sleep would be a long time coming he let his mind drift, he wondered what Tomoyo and Souma were doing right now. How long had he been gone from his world? They had been travelling for a few months now but time passed differently between worlds, he had no idea how long he had been gone from Nihon. It could be years, days or only hours.

What if someone attacked the castle while he was away? _Souma was usually too busy fondling the princess to actually protect her, _he thought with a disapproving grunt.

He froze mid-thought when he heard a thump from one of the other bedrooms. He listened intently in the following silence waiting for the noise to repeat itself. He cursed his nakedness, he wouldn't be able get dressed again without making enough noise to draw the attention of any intruder and he was not willing to rush out and potentially embarrass himself until it was likely that there was any real danger.

Another sound disrupted the silence, this time it was footsteps, and the ninja tensed; about to jump out of bed when he realised that they were footsteps that he recognised. He grimaced in irritation, the mage obviously hadn't been as out of it as he had thought and was now out of bed for some reason. The idiot really shouldn't have been walking on that leg but he was probably just going to the bathroom or going back downstairs to get something to eat. As long as the lunatic stayed out of his and the kids rooms it didn't really matter.

The sound of soft footfalls came steadily closer as the mage walked down the hallway, the ninja almost swore out loud when they stopped outside his door. He turned onto his side, away from the door and feigned sleep, hoping that the bastard would take the hint and go back to his own room.

He heard the door creak open and footsteps approach the bed. Creepily, the weirdo just stood there for a few moments, breathing softly. Kurogane fought to keep his expression relatively neutral, not letting the scowl that wanted to form appear and waited for him to either leave or do something.

"Kuro-chi?" a small whisper. "Are you awake?"

Despite the sudden the urge to shout _DO I LOOK LIKE I'M AWAKE ?! _the ninja remained calm. That is, until the blanket lifted a little behind him and the bed was suddenly a whole lot more crowded. When a hand landed on his bare side he decided that it might be a good time to "wake up" and get this idiot out of his bed before the mage realised just how naked he was.

"What are you doing?" he growled.

"Oh! Kuro-pii did I wake you?" was the chirpy reply.

He growled again and turned over so he was face to face with the other man. He could just barely make out the guy's expression in the darkness, the meagre moonlight reflecting blue light off his eyes and not much else. "What are you doing in my bed, idiot?"

"I woke up because I was sleeping the wrong way… and I was lonely." He whispered, edging closer to the ninja, a cool hand sliding along his side and coming to rest on his hip. Kurogane bristled but was at a loss of what to say, such a simple touch sending all of his blood rushing downward.

The wizard's hand froze, pausing for a second before running an experimental finger down his thigh. The ninja could almost hear his heart pounding.

"Kuro-myuu?" the mage began; his voice full of false innocence. "Why are you naked?"

Kurogane opened his mouth to say something, _anything_, but nothing came out. The best he managed was a grunt when the blonde pressed himself up against him, something hard brushing against his own erection. The mage chuckled, a low and husky sound that he had never heard the other man make before.

"I don't think that you really want me to leave…" the magician whispered as a hand snaked around the ninja's erection and squeezed gently, making him gasp. "…do you? Kuro-chan?"

Kurogane's head was spinning, he jerked forward when the other man began to stroke him slowly and the magician took the opportunity to press their mouths together. The ninja groaned into the wizard's mouth. Fai tasted like chocolate and alcohol…

The ninja pulled away quickly, prying the blonde's hand off his arousal.

"Kuro-tan?" the mage questioned, all of the smug confidence was gone from his voice now, replaced with something much more fragile.

"You're drunk." Kurogane said, trying to get his breathing under control. "If you still want to do this when you're sober then that's fine. But I'm not going to take advantage of you when you're like this."

The blonde was silent for a moment, and when he finally spoke his voice was unsteady and watery. "Can I still stay with you?" he whispered, sounding like a lost child.

The ninja frowned and pulled the other man closer, resting his chin on top of the mage's head. Blonde hair tickled his nose and slim arms wrapped tightly around his waist as he tried to will away his arousal. He mulled over everything that had just happened and he allowed himself a small smile.

Maybe Outo wasn't so bad after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer** I am not a member of CLAMP and therefore I do not own Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, xxxHolic or any of their other works (unfortunately.) I do not make any money from this fanfiction (again, unfortunately.)

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Okay, second chapter. Thanks to PieCrust17 for their review and to the many who added me to their alerts.

Huge thanks go to my beta, Dr. Scientist. I love you, baby!

I know that I said that I was going to stay away from Fai's point of view… but it just sort of happened. Damned, irresistible, Mage shakes fist

This chapter has an adult scene; I'm not actually sure how explicit content can be here on (even with the M rating) so just so you know, this fic is also posted on adultfanfiction.

**Spoilers**

We're still in Outo so the spoilers are more or less identical to those from the first chapter. And I mean, if you still haven't read past volume 6 yet then what have you been doing? Seriously!

Anyway, Enjoy.

**Chapter 2.**

Fai woke up slowly. Pain and thirst clouding his mind as he gradually regained consciousness. His head felt like it was trying to split down the middle and his mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. He tried to sit up but just ended up flailing a bit and falling back down. He couldn't remember ever feeling this ill. Even _breathing_ hurt his head.

After a few more disastrous attempts to sit up and open his eyes, he resigned himself to hiding under the blanket and trying to figure out why he was in such a state.

His eyebrows drew together in concentration as he tried to piece together the string of events that had made up the night before. He could remember going to the bar last night and hurting his leg in a fight with a kiji on the way there. He could remember pretending that his injury was too severe to walk on so that Kuro-tan would carry him home. He remembered meeting Souma-san and that Kuro-silly had mistaken her for someone from his world…

Then they had started drinking and… and then everything after that was all fuzzy and muddled in his head.

Hoping for some clarity; he pushed the blanket off and opened his eyes carefully, ignoring the pain in his head that this simple action caused. The light that shone through the thin curtains made him squint.

_Something about the light is wrong. It's coming from the wrong direction… _He thought groggily; his addled mind swimming in confusion, _had someone moved the window in the night?_ He tried to process this information, but it was taking his befuddled brain an inordinate amount of time to catch on.

He glanced sleepily at the black swath of cloth hanging off the back of the door, _why is Kuro-chi's_ _cloak in my room…?_ It took one heart stopping second for him to realise that this was most certainly _not_ his room. He sat up suddenly as memories bubbled up through the fog of pain in his brain.

He surveyed his surroundings wildly, but was greeted only by an empty room. He sagged forward; sighing in relief when he was sure that the ninja was not hiding somewhere, ready to confront him about the night before.

Cradling his sore head in his hands he set about decoding the garbled information that was rattling around in his brain. He had been _drunk_ last night. That little fact worried him even more than the knowledge that he had crawled into Kurogane's bed and most likely made a fool of himself. He hadn't been able to get drunk for years now and had even entertained the idea that he may have become immune to the effects of alcohol.

He ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly as he thought about everything that he had done last night. Pretending to be an actual Big Kitty wasn't a big deal; it wasn't too far from how he usually acted in front of the others anyway. What _was_ a big deal, however, was that he had made his intentions toward a certain ninja very clear last night.

He groaned and slumped forward. That certainly was not how he had planned to make his first serious advance on the other man.

He was lucky that he hadn't scared Kuro-chi off… _well, it was done now. No point crying_ _over spilt laki juice_, he thought to himself with a little chuckle. Especially when, if he remembered correctly, Kuro-pii had been more than willing last night. At least until the ninja had noticed how drunk he was…

_If you still want to do this when you're sober then that's fine. But I'm not going to take advantage of you when you're like this…_

_Such a _Kurogane_ thing to say_, Fai thought as he hugged the ninja's pillow to his chest, burying his face in it and inhaling deeply. A sincere smile spread across the magician's fair features and for the first time in decades he felt something like happiness bloom in his chest.

-oOo-

Sakura had been up for several hours. Since Fai hadn't come down this morning she had had to make breakfast for Syaoran-kun, Kurogane-san and Moko-chan instead.

Syaoran-kun had gone out with Kurogane-san to start sword training; leaving her alone with Mokona and feeling very useless. She waited for more than an hour and when Fai-san still hadn't made an appearance she decided to open the café herself.

It was all going smoothly. She didn't even have to cook anything since yesterday afternoon she and Fai-san had made more than enough sweets and cakes to feed the morning crowd. Then she had Moko-chan to help her wait the tables.

She made sure to ask the customers subtle questions that could help them find her feather. It was when she was heading to one particular table to do just that when she noticed the familiar pair of young men sitting there.

They looked just like Oni-chan and Yukito-san.

Unlike Kurogane, Sakura had gotten used to the idea of meeting people who looked like, but weren't, people you knew. So she only faltered slightly before continuing to their table and taking their order. While she wrote down everything they wanted she couldn't help but notice the lingering, meaningful glances that the two boys shared. Her smile broadened when she realised that they obviously had the same relationship that her brother had with their high-priest. Even if this Touya wasn't _her_ Oni-chan and this Yukito wasn't _her_ Yukito-san it was wonderful that they had still found each other.

It seemed as if love had the power to cross dimensions.

-oOo-

Syaoran was in so much pain. Each and every step he took sent bolts of white-hot agony through his skull and made him see stars. He knew that he should be paying closer attention to where they were going but he was finding it very hard to concentrate on the map in his hand.

He had been staring at it blurrily for a few minutes when it was snatched roughly from his grasp.

"No more alcohol for you" Kurogane-san growled down at him. "_Any_ of you."

"Yes…" he managed to croak back as he followed Kurogane through the streets.

"It took hours to get you all to bed last night. Those two pretending to be cats! And you with that ladle!" the ninja continued to grumble.

_Ladle?_Syaoran blinked in confusion. _What was I doing with a ladle?_

He didn't have time to voice his question because Kurogane-san had disappeared into a shop.

They had reached their destination.

-oOo-

Fai did up the last of the buttons on his shirt and tied his bow-tie quickly, a quick glance at the clock confirmed that it was almost lunchtime and he winced guiltily. He felt bad for having slept in so late; they had missed out on a whole morning's worth of customers. He took each step carefully as he descended down the stairs, mindful of his injured leg.

He pushed the door open and immediately reeled from the sudden onslaught of noise. The café was open and extremely full. His headache was back with a vengeance as he battled his way to the bar, climbing behind it and resting his forehead on the warm wooden counter.

"Good morning, Fai-san!" Sakura and Mokona chirped happily at him. He looked up at them blearily. "I opened the café to let the morning customers in."

He started to pry himself off the bar but Mokona chose that moment to jump on his head, knocking him back down and sending fresh waves of pain crashing over him. He groaned and clutched at the counter feebly.

"Are you all right?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"There is this buzzing pain in my head…" He mumbled back.

"Fai has a hangover!" Mokona cried, poking the wizard's cheek. "Mokona knows because Yuuko always has them!"

_A __hangover! _He could almost kick himself, it was that obvious. And there he had been worried that he had been poisoned by that kiji or something…

The source of his headache and general sickness now apparent he began to worry about the children who had both been just as (or more) drunk than he.

"Sakura-chan? Are _you_ alright?"

"Yes! I got up really early this morning!" she beamed with such vigour that the magician had to wince a little at her cheeriness and bright smile. She stepped behind the bar to fetch him some water.

As he took the glass from her hand he remembered that there was still an important matter to take care of. "By the way…" he began nonchalantly. "Where's the doggie duo?"

"Syaoran-kun is starting sword training today with Kurogane-san."

The wizard hid his disappointment well (as he did with most emotions); it looked like he would have to wait until this evening to get his favourite ninja alone.

-oOo-

Kurogane was grateful that this was the kid's first (and therefore most simple) lesson because the boy's concentration was shot. Dulled under one hell of a hangover he was making all kinds of mistakes. There was a dull thwack followed by a yelp when the kid hit himself in the face with his sheathed sword. Kurogane grimaced and was glad that he hadn't started the brat out with a bare blade. Hopefully that smack with a potentially lethal weapon would teach the brat not to drink so much in the future…

Kurogane might have voiced some comment on the kid's poor performance if it wasn't for the fact that he was more than a little distracted himself. Not by a hangover like the boy but by the nervous twist in his stomach every time he thought back to the previous night.

A slight blush would creep onto his face when he remembered waking up this morning; his arms wrapped tightly around the mage and his nose still buried in blonde hair. It had been nice; waking up with the wizard in his arms.

He wondered briefly if he should have stayed and waited for the other man to wake up. But he had promised the kid sword lessons… and he had been too afraid of how the other man would react to waking up beside him. Better to give them both most of the day apart to think things over.

The excitement and hope he felt made him feel like a fool. The magician had probably only behaved the way he had because of how drunk he had been.

_Maybe he wanted to? Maybe he's wanted you for as long as you've wanted him?_ A hopeful voice piped up in the back of his head but he quelled it. There was no point in worrying about it now, he would find out exactly what the other man's intentions were tonight when he and the brat got home.

-oOo-

When the time came for the café to close, Fai was feeling much better. His headache was gone and he didn't feel dizzy anymore. He was beginning to think that maybe having to wait the entire day to see Kuro-bun again might have been for the best. It was certainly going to help that he could at least think straight now.

The bell above the door jingled as Syaoran-kun stepped inside; his clothes were tattered and wet, earning a startled cry from Sakura-chan. Kurogane sat down on the stool directly in front of the magician. Fai ignored the ninja for the moment, choosing instead to inquire about Syaoran-kun's wounds. "Did another Kiji attack you?"

Syaoran made a pained face before answering. "No… I'm going to go get changed now."

Fai watched Sakura start after the boy. "Sakura-chan, here." Fai called after her, handing her a jar of salve. "It's for his wounds." He assured her when he saw the confusion on her face. She said her thanks and went scampering after Syaoran.

Now that both of the children (and Mokona) had left the room, Fai turned his attention to the man sitting in front of him. He only barely suppressed a giggle when he saw the ninja's face; full of grim determination and a little bit of fear. The wizard decided that it might be best to restore some sense of normality before he got to discussing his behaviour the night before.

"Training for sword fighting?" he asked casually, resting his elbows on the bar.

-oOo-

The question surprised Kurogane, but he tried not to show it. _Wasn't he going to talk about what had happened between them? Did he even remember?_ That thought made Kurogane's heart drop.

If the other man could recall his conversation with the kid then that was a good indication that he probably remembered everything else as well. "Weren't you drunk last night?"

The magician gave him a knowing smile, and the ninja knew that the blonde had seen right through his plan before he had even had a chance to implement it. "I _was_ drunk but I still remember Syaoran-kun asking you about teaching him to use a sword."

The statement hung in the air for a few moments, Kurogane staring at the mage and getting an unreadable smile in return. The conversation shifted to the subject of the kiji and their sudden change in behaviour. The mage prepared a small meal for him while they spoke and Kurogane was surprised to see not one sweet thing on the plate, only things that he actually deemed edible. He cast a suspicious look at the other man, the mage _never_ made things that he liked to eat. _Ever._ Not to mention that he was beginning to wonder if the blonde was just going to act as if nothing had happened.

"Something on your mind, Kuro-chi?" the mage whispered surprisingly close to his ear, startling Kurogane from his thoughts.

He found himself looking directly into those bright blue eyes. He sat mesmerised as the magician oiled across the bar, pushing aside his plate and sitting in front of Kurogane; draping his long legs around the ninja's hips.

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to." He replied, trying to sound menacing but his voice just came out as a whisper.

Their lips came together so naturally that Kurogane wasn't really sure (nor did he care) when it had happened or who had initiated the kiss. It was deep and slow, flash fire tingling as it shot throughout his body; pooling as a slow burn in his stomach.

He pulled the mage off the bar and into his lap; grinding their arousals together and making the magician moan into their kiss.

With the blonde writhing in his lap Kurogane couldn't stop the predatory grin that spread across his features as they withdrew. Fai was smiling too, and to the ninja's surprise it seemed genuine.

"Kuro-tan…" the magician whispered breathily, "let's go upstairs."

Kurogane did not have to be told more than once. He stood up, the other man's legs still wrapped tightly around his waist, and headed for the stairs. It was a treacherous journey for the ninja; trying to navigate the stairs with the magician pressed tantalisingly against him and nipping at his neck. More than once he almost gave up, wanting to stop and just take the other man against the wall, but the chance that the children and the manjuu might catch them motivated him to continue on his torturous trek to the wizard's bedroom.

Once inside, the wizard dislodged himself from Kurogane and slinked toward the bed. The ninja turned the lock in the door absentmindedly before advancing on the other man. Their mouths met again as he began to unbutton the mage's shirt, sliding the material off the deceptively delicate shoulders. He soon divested the other man of the rest of his clothes and the magician broke away from him; sprawling out on the bed and watching Kurogane with heavy lidded, hungry, blue eyes.

As he undressed himself, Kurogane drank in the sight before him. He had always thought that the wizard was attractive, but the man laid out in front of him was more than that… he was _beautiful_. Perfect ivory skin covered every inch of him; marred only by the attractive blush that had spread across his cheekbones. The ninja's eyes were drawn down the pale chest along the flat stomach and to the delicious dip of the navel, until his gaze fell on the other man's arousal nestled on a bed of short blonde curls; his own erection twitched in anticipation.

Now naked, Kurogane climbed onto the bed and lowered himself onto the other man who had opened his legs in obvious invitation. Kurogane grasped the wizard's erection in his hand and squeezed gently. The magician bucked underneath him and gasped something that sounded suspiciously like "please"

Kurogane's grin was back and it was all teeth. "What?" he asked with another squeeze.

Another gasp before blue eyes fluttered open and regarded him lustily, "Please…" he replied, his voice husky. "I want…"

The ninja cut him off by giving up on the teasing and starting a steady rhythm with his hand. The mage's eyes slammed shut and he arched into the ninja's touch. "Do you have something?" Kurogane asked hopefully.

"In the bedside table." The magician replied, whining at the loss of contact when Kurogane leaned over to root through the drawer. He found a small tube and lifted it up for inspection, it was certainly different from the oils that he knew men used in his world, but it would do. He thoroughly coated two of his fingers and slipped his hand down between their bodies, sliding one finger inside of the magician slowly; earning a gasp and an appreciative wiggle from the other man. He moved his free hand back to the wizard's arousal, pumping steadily as he moved his finger carefully; adding another one after a few moments. He hooked his fingers experimentally and was rewarded with a deep groan from the mage, who seemed to melt into the bed. Encouraged, he did it again and again, enjoying the mewls and moans that the simple action elicited. Soon the magician was literally writhing beneath him, his breathing coming in short, fast, gasps that could only mean one thing.

Kurogane didn't want the other man to finish just yet. He removed both hands from the wizard and grabbed the tube again; squeezing a generous amount of the clear liquid onto his palm. His eyes fluttered shut as he coated himself in one stroke, the sudden sensation on his neglected arousal almost making him come right then. He exhaled deeply, reigning in his control before positioning himself between the other man's legs.

He pushed forward slowly and carefully despite his brain screaming at him to just thrust forward. When he was all of the way inside he opened his eyes. Looking down at the wizard he felt his heart jump. The magician's mask had fallen away entirely; pale skin flushed and eyes glazed and full of so many raw emotions that Kurogane had to resist the urge to look away. Instead he planted a soft kiss on the bridge of the other man's nose and began to move carefully, never taking his eyes off the blonde below him.

They started slowly, long drawn out thrusts that made him feel like he was going to drown. Kurogane never wanted it to end. Soon, however, his control wavered and the pace began to pick up; the mage's hips rising to meet his with every thrust, the ninja's hand working frantically on the other's arousal. Their grunts and the crude sound of skin against skin were loud in the air as they neared completion. Suddenly the wizard went rigid under him, making a strangled sound that sounded like a cross between a moan and the yowl of a cat as he coated both of their stomachs. Kurogane wasn't far behind, pushed over the edge by the magician's walls clenching tightly around him and biting harshly into the other man's shoulder as he rode his release.

Sweaty and panting, Kurogane rolled onto his back, bringing the magician with him so that the smaller man lay on top. They lay there in silence and it wasn't long before Kurogane felt the mage's breathing become shallow and even. He could feel sleep beginning to wash over him too, but before he let it claim him he called forward the image of the magician's real face. There was something about that expression that made him feel strange.

His eyes slid shut as he lost the battle with sleep. Just one thought went through his mind as he lost consciousness.

_That was the kind of face that could make you fall in love_


End file.
